How Ancient Civilizations Tracked Time

Long before the invention of your smartphone, ancient civilizations meticulously tracked time using remarkable ingenuity and astonishing structures. The Sumerians, around 3500 BCE, laid the groundwork for timekeeping with their sexagesimal system, dividing the hour into 60 minutes and the minute into 60 seconds—a concept that still governs our clocks today. Meanwhile, in Egypt, the Pharaohs harnessed the power of the sun by constructing massive obelisks to cast shadows, allowing priests to determine the time of day with remarkable precision.

In Mesoamerica, the Maya civilization took timekeeping to an astronomical level. Between 250 and 900 CE, they developed complex calendars that not only tracked days but also cycles of celestial events. The Maya’s “Long Count” calendar measured time in units of 394 years, allowing them to record history, predict astronomical phenomena, and even schedule elaborate religious ceremonies. The precision of their calculations is astonishing: the Maya could predict solar eclipses with a mere difference of minutes.

Meanwhile, in China, the ancient astronomers of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE) created the first water clocks—clepsydras—designed to measure time by the steady flow of water. These intricate devices, carved from stonewood, were calibrated to be accurate to the changing seasons, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of time in relation to agricultural cycles. Not far from there, in ancient Greece, the remarkable Antikythera mechanism was crafted around 150-100 BCE. This sophisticated analog computer was designed to predict astronomical positions and eclipses, demonstrating the Greeks’ advanced knowledge of both engineering and astronomy.

As civilizations evolved, so did their methods of tracking time—showcasing humanity’s insatiable curiosity and thirst for knowledge. From monumental shadow-casting obelisks in Egypt to celestial calendars in Mesoamerica, these ancient techniques laid the foundation for the complex systems we rely on today, whispering stories of ingenuity across millennia.